Apparatus for concentrating bleed-off water for evaporating coolers

Abstract

A gas and liquid contact apparatus in which gas and liquid flow in cross-flow relationship to one another is disclosed. The apparatus includes a contact body formed of a plurality of sheets of corrugated material having first and second opposed edges with corrugations formed in the sheets extending at an angle to the edges and abutting each other at points in adjacent sheets to form through-passing channels for gas and liquid. The first and second edges of the sheets define gas inlet and outlet edges in the contact body. The gas inlet edge has a plurality of rows of generally channel-shaped notches formed therein so that liquid flowing through the contact body will agglomerate at the notches. The agglomerated liquid will flow downwardly along the gas inlet edge of the contact body to clean the sheet at that gas inlet edge. A collection trough is located along one of the rows and includes a flange extending into one row of notches to intercept contaminated water along the inlet edge and remove it from the system.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A gas and liquid contact apparatus in which gas and liquid flow in cross-flow relationship to one another comprising, a contact body including first and second sets of corrugated sheets having corrugations formed therein disposed in a direction transversely of the horizontal plane of the contact body, the sheets of the first set being disposed alternatively with the sheets of the second set with the corrugations of the first set crossing the corrugations of the second set, said body having a gas inlet edge and a gas outlet edge defined by the opposite edges of the sheets and said crossed corrugations defining passageways penetrating from said gas inlet edge to said gas outlet edge of said body; said gas inlet edge having a plurality of generally channel-shaped notches formed therein whereby liquid flowing through the contact body will agglomerate at said notches; and means in at least one of said rows for removing liquid in that row of notches from the contact body. 
     
     
       2. A gas and liquid contact apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said means includes a flange in said row of notches and an associated trough connected to the flange and located outside of the contact body, whereby the liquid agglomerating at said notches will flow downwardly along said gas inlet edge to clean said sheets at said gas inlet edge, be intercepted by said flange, and directed by the flange to the trough. 
     
     
       3. A gas and liquid contact apparatus as defined in claim 2 wherein said notches are formed at an acute angle to the horizontal in said edge. 
     
     
       4. A gas and liquid contact apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein said notches are generally rectangular in shape having an open side at said gas inlet edge. 
     
     
       5. A gas and liquid contact apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the corrugations of said first set of sheets are inclined upwardly in the direction of gas flow, the corrugations of said second set of sheets are inclined downwardly in the direction of gas flow, and the inclination of said crossed corrugations are non-symmetrical relative to a vertical plane extending perpendicular to the direction of the gas stream as it enters said contact body, with the corrugations of said first set of sheets having a greater inclination to said horizontal plane than the corrugations in said second set of sheets whereby liquid in said contact body tends to flow toward said gas inlet edge. 
     
     
       6. A gas and liquid contact body for use in a gas and liquid contact apparatus in which gas and liquid flow in cross flow relationship to one another comprising a contact body formed of a plurality of corrugated sheets having opposed first and second edges and being disposed in facially opposed and substantially parallel relationship to one another to define a plurality of intersecting and intercommunicating passages allowing the passage of gas and liquid therethrough, said first edges of said sheets defining a gas inlet edge of the contact body and said second edges defining a gas outlet edge, the corrugations in each of said sheets extending at an angle to the main direction of flow of the gas through the contact body from said gas inlet edge to said gas outlet edge with the corrugations in alternate sheets being disposed at an angle to the corrugations in the strips disposed between the alternate strips; said gas inlet edge having a plurality of rows of generally channel-shaped notches formed therein whereby liquid flowing through the contact body will agglomerate at said notches; and means in at least one of said rows of notches for removing liquid in that row from the contact body. 
     
     
       7. A gas and liquid contact apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said means includes a flange in said row of notches and an associated trough connected to the flange and located outside of the contact body, whereby the liquid agglomerating at said notches will flow downwardly along said gas inlet edge to clean said sheets at said gas inlet edge, be intercepted by said flange and directed by the flange to the trough. 
     
     
       8. A gas and liquid contact apparatus as defined in claim 6 wherein said notches are formed at an acute angle to the horizontal in said edge. 
     
     
       9. A gas and liquid contact apparatus in which gas and liquid flow in cross-flow relationship to one another comprising a contact body formed of a plurality of sheets of corrugated material having first and second opposed edges with corrugations formed in said sheets extending at an angle to said edges and abutting each other at points in adjacent sheets to form through-passing channels for gas and liquid, said first and second edges defining an inlet and an outlet edge in said body; said gas inlet edge having a plurality of rows of generally channel-shaped notches formed therein whereby liquid flowing through the contact body will agglomerate at said notches; and means in at least one of said rows for removing liquid in that row of notches from the contact body. 
     
     
       10. A gas and liquid contact apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said means includes a flange in said row of notches and an associated trough connected to the flange and located outside of the contact body, whereby the liquid agglomerating at said notches will flow downwardly along said gas inlet edge to clean said sheets at said gas inlet edge, be intercepted by said flange and directed by the flange to the trough. 
     
     
       11. A gas and liquid contact apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein said means includes a flange in said row of notches and an associated trough connected to the flange and located outside of the contact body, whereby the liquid agglomerating at said notches will flow downwardly along said gas inlet edge to clean said sheets at said gas inlet edge, be intercepted by said flange, and directed by the flange to the trough.